Sami Al-Arian currently is free and living somewhere in Virginia, awaiting deportation.
Many CL readers are well aware of the former USF professor's many legal issues since he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy in his federal terrorism trial 4 1/2 years ago. But what you might not know is that being associated with him in 2010 is still considered to be toxic for U.S. politicians, as he's now becoming an issue in the California U.S. Senate race.
That's because former Congressman Tom Campbell, locked in a three way battle for the GOP nomination against former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and Chuck DeVore, has been outed for his alleged "associations" with Al-Arian. These stories were first reported on the Web sites of The American Spectator and Commentary last week.
Campbell's alleged association with Al-Arian? It goes back to the late 1990s, when Sami was politically active (primarily to support members of Congress who wanted to eliminate so-called "secret evidence" in immigration cases, which at the time was being used to detain Al-Arian's brother-in-law, Mazen Al-Najjar; the evidence against him could not be shared with his attorneys). Al-Arian contributed $1,300 to Campbell, and supported other elected officials on both sides of the aisle who were supporting federal legislation against secret evidence.
This article appears in Feb 24 – Mar 2, 2010.